Matched
by Tukkus
Summary: The system is supposed to match you up with your soul mate, but what happens when she falls for somebody else?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: This idea actually isn't mine. The foundation of it is from the book of the same title, however, this shouldn't even be close to the same BECAUSE I haven't read the book, only the summary of it. This story is Spoby-Wrencer centric, but it will include Ezria, as well as other couples that will be revealed in time. One of the story arcs actually involves Ezria, so if you like them together, they will be in this! Without any further delay, I hope you enjoy the story!

MATCHED—1

Veronica Hastings walked into her daughter's bedroom and wrapped her arms around her teenager. Her daughter Spencer bit her lip. She knew why her mother was in her bedroom, and she was apprehensive about the whole day itself. It was a big day for her, and for every eighteen-year-old around.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?"

She shrugged her shoulders before saying, "You could say that. On the outside, yeah, I'm ready, I've gotten dressed and everything, but on the inside? No, no Mom, I'm not ready. I'm scared. I'm going to find out who I'll be spending the rest of my life with! I hope you'll excuse me for being a little bit beyond scared."

"There's no shame in that, but it should be more of anxiety," Veronica said, sitting down on her daughter's bed. "You've got to have a little more trust in our society, darling. They've been doing this for years. They know how to find the right person for you. It's always your true soulmate. Look at your sister Melissa! The society matched her up with Ian, and she's happier than ever. She found her true love. The society is good."

"Or was it just luck?"

Veronica sighed and said, "Don't challenge the system, Spencer. You're not just arguing with me here, you're arguing with the government's choice in pairing people up. I suggest you don't doubt that. You are going to find the perfect man to continue your life with. He is going to be everything you have ever wanted."

She knew better than to continue arguing with her mother after that, so she put her make-up bags away and headed to the car. Her father, mother, and sister all came with her to support her on that eventful day. Her parents were obviously upset about their daughter leaving home, but they trusted that the system would pair her up with her perfect man.

"I'll see you guys in there," Spencer said, getting out of the car and kissing the cheeks of her parents. "I just want to see my friends before the ceremony. I love you both so much." She half-hugged them before rushing into the ceremony hall.

It was easy to spot her three best friends because the spunky Aria Montgomery was wearing all bright colors. She smiled, running up to her friends and hugging them. She wondered if they were all as nervous as she was about that day. The thought of her perfect match being somewhere in the room was intimidating. It could be any one of them!

"Hey guys," Spencer greeted quietly. "Are you nervous for today?"

"Kind of," Hanna Marin responded, sighing. "I'm scared that the guy I'm supposed to be with won't be hot. If he's not hot, we can't have anything. I hope I'm paired up with Caleb."

Since the system existed, no two teenagers were allowed to be in a relationship, but Hanna, being Hanna, couldn't resist. She started a secret relationship with a phone hacking teenager named Caleb Rivers. However, her mother figured out that the two were seeing each other, and forbid them from continuing. Hanna didn't hate her mother, though. She hated the government. Her mother was only trying to protect her. If the government had found out that Hanna was seeing Caleb, she would have been executed. They took love extremely seriously.

"Well, I guess today is the day that you find out if you were truly meant to be with him after all," Emily Fields, the third one of the best friends, spoke.

"Spencer."

The brunette turned around and sighed when she saw the person. Normally, she would be more than happy to see him, but after what happened between them the previous day, she was afraid to look him in the eyes ever again. However, he wasn't going to not speak with her. He had to talk to her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him.

"We need to talk about what happened, Spencer," he whispered, his piercing blue eyes staring at her in a way that made her uneasy. "You're not going to pretend like it never happened, are you?"

"Even if I want to boast about it to everybody, we can't, Toby!" she whispered back, jabbing a finger into his chest. "If anybody else finds out about this, we are both going to be killed. If what happened last night really meant anything, then we will find out today. We'll find out when we both get to know who our soul mates are. We can talk about it if that happens."

"We _slept_ together."

"Don't say it out loud!" she snapped quietly. "Look, if anybody from the government hears us, we're both dead, and I mean that literally. What happened was an accident, okay? I liked it, no, I loved it... but... we have been friends for so long, and we are going to find out who our perfect matches are right now."

"Most people at this ceremony who follow the god damn rules are virgins, but you're not," he said. "I'm not. Doesn't that mean anything to you? They shouldn't be the ones who decide who we're meant to be with! If I like you, then shouldn't we able to try us out?"

"No, because the government was smart enough to give us a way to bypass all that dating stuff," Spencer explained. "We don't have to go through it. We just get to find out who the person we're meant to be with is. That's the system, and it works. It'll tell us who we're supposed to be with!"

Toby sighed and said, "I... I know. But if you want yesterday to be erased, then it can be in our minds. We can forget about it. You have to promise me one thing, though."

"It depends on what it is."

"No matter who your perfect guy is, you won't stop being friends with me," he said, looking at her pleadingly. "I don't want the matchmaking or last night to change us. Can we still be friends?"

"Of course we can still be friends!" Spencer exclaimed. "I'm done getting a knot in my stomach every time I hear your name, because last night never happened. We are friends, and nothing is going to change that."

He didn't want their first night together to mean nothing, but he knew it had to. It could get them killed. They were supposed to be virgins when they got their perfect match at the ceremony. If anybody found out that they weren't, the government would kill them on the spot. A part of him really hoped that Spencer would be his match.

But he couldn't change the fate of what his result was, so he smiled at her and hugged her quickly before rushing off to sit near his friends in the ceremony's auditorium.

"What did he want?" Emily asked, sort of hurt that he didn't even want to talk to her at all. Toby Cavanaugh and Emily were always good friends, but not as close as he and Spencer were, which was probably why what happened the night before happened to Spencer and Toby and not Emily and him.

"He just wanted to say goodbye in case he doesn't see me much after the ceremony puts him with his perfect match," Spencer lied, scratching her head.

Aria shook her head and said, "Guys, this can't change anything. It _won't_. We are always going to be close friends, and finding our matches is not going to drift us apart! We've been friends since we were little kids, and I can't imagine anything bringing is apart."

"This," Emily began, smiling at all of her friends, "is forever."

The four girls made their way to the bleachers of the auditorium, taking a seat somewhere in the open space. Of course, they sat next to each other, putting up a good front that they weren't worried. However, each one of them was scared to death. Would it change their friendship? Would their perfect match not be as good as they were hoping? Questions were filling their minds with fear.

"_Attention!_"

All eyes turned to face the man standing on the stage. He held a microphone in his hand, and he was wearing a black suit. He looked pleased to be there, but everybody knew he wasn't. It was just another year of matchmaking. He did it every year since he was elected mayor.

"We gather today on December 31st when each and every one of you born in this year has become an eighteen-year-old," Mayor began. "Today is the day you could consider your adulthood. We in the society blame the roughness and heartbreak of love for the destruction of mankind, and we, the government, have come up with a solution. For years, we have been using this method to bypass the laws of heartbreak. Instead, you will find your soulmate today. You will be with the one you are meant to be with. Every person in this room is going to be matched today, and we will do this in alphabetical order of the females. When you, a male, are called as a match for a female, you will join them on stage and then step aside afterwards. Are we all clear? Of course we are. Now, I will begin from the letter A."

Spencer watched with full attention for the first few people called. Aarons, Allen, whatever else. She watches the girls step on the stage, get their match card, and then have Mayor announce the male's name. It scared her to know that she would be up there very soon to find out who her match was.

"You're the first of us four, Em," Spencer whispered, reaching over to grab Emily's hand.

It was only a matter of time before they reached the letter F, which meant Emily would be called very soon. She tried to mentally prepare herself to be called, but she had a feeling that she would be dissatisfied, no matter who the boy was.

"_Emily Fields_."

Her friends offered her some cheering, as did the rest of the audience. They smiled and waved at her. They were just as nervous to find out who Emily's match would be. They watched closely as she fearfully approached the stage. Her hands apprehensively took the match card from Mayor's hands. She read it shakily in her head, and then Mayor took it back to read it aloud into the microphone.

"_Ben Coogan_."

Aria smiled and said, "I could see that. They could be a great match for each other. They're both swimmers. I think it could be right, don't you think?"

"It's got to be right," Hanna said, folding her arms. "The system is supposed to be perfectly accurate. That's why it makes so much sense for Emily and Ben to be together. They make a good match. And that's why we all trust the system so much. We're going to find the perfect person for us."

"Then why doesn't Emily look satisfied to be with Ben?" Spencer questioned as she watched the both of them step aside off of the stage.

"Come on, Spence, that doesn't mean that they don't have true love," Aria said quietly as Mayor called the next female up. "It's probably a little weird to meet your perfect match for the first time. I understand how she's feeling. They'll warm up in time, and they'll be happy. I can see them together being perfect."

"Well, I would argue, but I don't have time," Spencer said, staring at the floor. "My name's going to be called soon, and I don't know what to do!"

"It will be fine," Aria guaranteed. "Just trust the system. They'll make sure you'll be with somebody who can make you happy. This isn't just some matchmaking—this is your freaking soul mate!"

She wanted to believe Aria, but she still had some disbelief. It was cut short by more nervousness, though. Mayor was finishing up the letter G, and that meant H was next. Being a Hastings, she knew her name was going to be called early on.

"_Spencer Hasting_s."

Hanna and Aria squeezed her hand before letting her go. She trembled as she walked up to the stage. She felt all eyes watching her. She looked up for a moment, spotting Toby in the crowd. He glanced at her, looking nervous. She could tell he wanted to be her match, and she wouldn't lie, she wanted to be his. It would be a lot easier to be with somebody she knew. Poor Emily had to be with stranger Ben.

Mayor turned around to hand her the match card. Her whole body tensed up when she took it from his hands. That card held the identity of the man who would be with her for the rest of her life, and she was about to find out who it was. She hoped it was somebody who truly was her match.

So she read it. And it wasn't Toby. It wasn't anybody she knew of. It was some name she had never heard in her entire life! Before she could even process the fact that she was destined to be with some stranger, Mayor yanked the card out of her hand. He was going to announce it, and all her friends were going to hear the total stranger's name.

"_Wren Kingston_."

She saw Aria and Hanna clapping wildly in the audience. When she looked around the corner, she saw Emily cheering for her briefly, too, but then she soon got back to quietly socializing with Ben, her new match.

Nervously, Spencer watched the crowd for the male that would walk up to her. She had to admit, the man who got up from the bleachers was handsome. He had neatly combed hair, and he smiled when he reached her. She was dazzled by his chocolate brown eyes. The only odd part was when he reached out to shake her hand. She shook it to be polite, and then started to follow him off the stage. When she looked up at the crowd again, she saw Toby looking away in disappointment. She felt bad, but maybe it was better that they weren't matched up. It was the world telling them that they were meant to just be friends. Wren Kingston was her perfect match, not Toby.

She wasn't disappointed to know that Wren Kingston was her match. He was handsome, and he seemed sweet enough. She wasn't enthusiastically thrilled, and it didn't feel like love at first sight, but she wasn't expecting that, anyway. It was just some dumb thing from stories. She didn't believe in stuff like that.

"It is an honor to be your match."

And that melted her!

He had a charming British accent. She was drawn to him rather quickly. His accent made him so appealing that she couldn't wait to find out more about him. Maybe the system was right. Maybe he truly was her perfect match.

"Let me just get some basic things in for you," Wren began, smiling at her. "I'm going to be a student in the med program in college, so you should know that I'm going to be a doctor. If there's ever a situation in our home, we've got a doctor!"

_Our home_. It sent shivers down Spencer's spine. It felt so peculiar to think about sharing a life with him. But, it didn't seem all that bad. He was an attractive, charming British man, and he was also well-educated and going to be a doctor! Money was never going to be a problem for them in the future.

She chatted with Wren for the remaining time of the ceremony, but as soon as it ended, she jetted off to meet up with Aria, Hanna, and Emily. She had to meet up with them in order to find out who Aria and Hanna were matched up with. She wondered if they were better than the handsome Brit she had gotten.

"That was crazy!" Aria exclaimed, her eyes full of joy. "I got paired up with this guy named Ezra Fitz, and he is amazing. He's so poetic, smart, and he's super cute. He writes books. He's going to become a teacher and an author. He's so sophisticated! I love him already!"

"Whoa there, loving him a little too fast..." Spencer said, raising her eyebrows. "What about the rest of you? Do you guys love your matches? Who did you get, Hanna?"

"I thought... I thought I was going to get Caleb," Hanna quietly said, staring at the floor. "I thought it was finally my chance to be with him, but I got paired up with some guy named Sean Ackard, and it's weird as hell! He keeps talking about sports. And I saw Caleb. He didn't just get matched with some other girl, he got matched up with Kate Randall, that bitch that's the daughter of the woman my dad cheated on my mom with."

"I'm sorry, Han," Emily said, sighing. "Ben and I both have swimming in common, but I don't know, I just don't feel the connection I wanted to feel. I knew I wasn't going to be happy."

"You will be!" Aria exclaimed. "Just give it some time. I'm already super happy with Ezra. Maybe some relationships just take more time to get comfortable with."

Swooping Aria, Hanna, and Emily away were their matches. Each one of the young men took their girl away, leaving Spencer. She was going to get back to Wren, but before she could, Toby stepped in front of her.

"Spencer."

She scratched her head and said, "Hello, Toby... Do you need something? Shouldn't you be with your new girlfriend it whatever?"

"I got paired with Jenna Marshall, and she hates me," he said, his eyes intensely staring at her. She knew his gaze was better than Wren's, but she couldn't say anything aloud. "This isn't what I wanted at all. She can't be my soul mate."

"But she is! You just have to give it some time," Spencer said, staring at the floor. "I'm not your soul mate, Toby. If I was, the system would have told us. But it didn't. You're with Jenna Marshall, and I'm with my own guy."

"I know, I didn't say you were my soul mate, but... but I wish you were," he confessed. "I don't think I can ever love Jenna, Spencer, but I know that last night did mean something to me."

"Toby!" she scolded. "What happened to being just friends? I thought we were forgetting about what happened last night, anyway!"

"You're right," he said, sighing. "I just keep forgetting to forget, and I think there's a reason for that, but you wouldn't want me to say it. But anyways, how's your sweet Wren Kingston? He doin' you any good so far? It's probably better than Jenna and I."

"We _are_ doing great," Spencer said, nodding. "He is so sweet, and smart, and... I'm happy that I got him."

"What if you got me instead?" Toby asked, looking up at her. "Would you still be as happy as you are now?"

"It doesn't matter. The point is, I didn't get you, I got Wren."

As if on cue, Wren smiled and walked up to them, "Spencer, sweetheart! Come on, let's go. There is an after-party going on outside to celebrate the ceremony."

She looked back at Toby briefly before taking Wren's hand and walking outside to join everyone else in the after-party. She could say that she was happy, but Toby couldn't. He couldn't because he wasn't.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Whoops, I accidentally put this in the M-rated section at first! It's going to have _some_ profanity, and it will also have scenes with mature themes, but it won't be explicit, I promise. It'll probably be as vague as they make it on Pretty Little Liars itself. Anyways, I hope you like the next chapter! Please leave a review!

MATCHED—2

"We should talk about our marriage," Wren announced, pouring a cup of coffee for himself. "I think that we should get this done quickly. I want to move straight into it, I hope you don't mind. That means we won't be putting too much thought into it. I don't want anything too grand, you know?"

"But shouldn't our wedding day be special?" Spencer asked, biting her lip. "I just thought that we should get to know each other a little better before rushing into marriage."

"Rushing isn't the right word," he said, putting his coffee cup down and taking both of her hands. "We aren't strangers. We are meant to be together. I know it's slightly weird to think of me as your soul mate because we just met yesterday, but we are supposed to end up together, and that's why marriage isn't too fast for us, or for anybody matched up."

"You're right, I keep forgetting that the system put us together," she said quietly, and looking up at him with her brown eyes. She desperately wanted a kiss from him at that moment. She needed to feel what her future husband could do. She felt like a kiss could tell her a lot about him.

But, it didn't seem he was looking for the same thing, because he smiled, let go of her hands, and picked his coffee cup back up. She was trying to give their relationship a chance, but she felt like she was awkwardly being forced into it too quickly. She didn't have any dating experience, obviously, because the government didn't allow it, but she felt like that was a bad thing. She wanted to take it slow with Wren and get a feel for him. She didn't blame him for wanting to get married so soon. She knew the government put the idea of them being soul mates into his head.

They had moved into a nice apartment for the time being. Her parents had generously offered to pay for their shelter until they got on their feet. Spencer was planning on attending college to major in law, and Wren was a med student who was going to become a doctor, so once they got jobs, they would be set for life with their financial areas.

"I probably will not be home until late night, and I apologize," he said, sighing. "It is one of the cons about being a med student." He put his coffee cup in the sink and approached her, wrapping his arms around her for a long hug. "I love you, sweetheart."

It felt so rushed. She knew that she would be able to love him back with time, but not when he was shoving the L-word down her throat. He was a charmer, and she was falling for him, and definitely trying to, but she just didn't know how to handle it. The only other romance she had in her life was the one hook-up two nights before. She couldn't be complaining, though... it was one more experience than anyone else was supposed to even have.

* * *

At the grocery store was Spencer, and it was an odd first experience for her. Normally, her parents did all the grocery shopping, so it was a big change to be the one to do it. It felt peculiar to have the responsibility to take care of a family. She didn't have children, but she would have to feed Wren because he was too busy with med school to do all that shopping.

"Spence, how are you?"

Of course, he was always running into her. She wanted to be near him, but every time she looked at him, she thought of how she slept with him. She knew that Wren would freak out if he found out. What if he told the government and had her killed out of jealousy? She could only imagine the worst case scenarios in her head.

"I'm good, Cavanaugh," she said, half-smiling at him. "Are you stalking me, or what? You seem to be everywhere that I've been lately."

"That's not true, but maybe it's for the best," he said, smiling at her and looking at her intensely. "How's the new man treating you?"

"He's off at med school, so he won't be back until late night, but he's super sweet," Spencer explained. "He's handsome, charming, brilliant... I don't know what else a woman could look for in a man. That doesn't make you jealous, does it?"

"If I told you how I feel right now, you would be mad at me for breaking the promise I made to you about staying friends with you yesterday," Toby confessed, mysteriously smiling at her. "But, I guess I'll lie and tell you that I'm happy your perfect doctor boy is working out well. I'd like to say the same thing about Jenna, but I can't. She's okay. Not as bad as I was expecting, for sure. She really likes her space, though. She said she wants to hold off on getting married for at least a year, and she also doesn't want to sleep in the same bed as me until she's comfortable with me, but how can I blame her? It feels like we're strangers."

She still wished that she didn't have to avoid all the things he kept saying. All those things that basically assured her that he had feelings for her... It wasn't her that minded, though, it was the world around them. He wasn't allowed to have feelings for her. He was supposed to have feelings for nobody else except Jenna Marshall.

"I get what you're saying," Spencer quietly said. "It feels like turning eighteen sucks. Everything from this point on is zooming so fast. I want things to work with, Wren, but I can't take him seriously when I don't even feel like we know a single thing about each other! There are still times where I forget his last name!"

"Great minds think alike," Toby quoted, grinning at her. "So, I've got to finish grocery shopping, or Jenna will get pissed at me... and that means I've got to get going now. Will you... will you call me tonight? I really want to hear your voice again today."

She nodded her head absentmindedly while she thought about what he said. Everything he said was always so unbelievably sweet! She knew she still had unresolved feelings for him, and their night together only heightened those feelings. She wished she didn't have them, but she did, and she had a feeling it would conflict her relationship with Wren.

* * *

Even after preparing a nice lasagna dinner, Wren wasn't home. She wasn't angry or anything about it, though. She just left the dinner on the table for him to eat, and then rushed to her phone to call Toby. It had been on her mind to call him for the rest of the day ever since what happened in the grocery store.

_"I need to see you, Spencer. I almost thought you wouldn't call me because you were too busy with Wren, but you called, and that means you still care for me."_

_"Of course I care for you, Toby. I wouldn't forget to call you. We've known each other for so long! Besides, Wren isn't even home. It he was, did you actually think I would call you? He would get suspicious, and that's the last thing I need. He doesn't need to know."_

_"I understand. I still need to see you, though. Would you please come to the lake dock tonight—like right now? I think we should talk."_

_"We always should talk. We always have something to talk about."_

_"Exactly. You're making me impatient, Spence. My need to see you is growing even stronger by the second. I'm already at the dock. I was just sitting here and thinking, then you popped into my head. So, I'm glad you called at this moment."_

_"I'm coming, Toby. Don't get too impatient. I'll be there in no time. We won't have to tell Wren about this, right? Even though we're meeting as friends, if he gets even slightly suspicious about our relationship, I'm screwed."_

_"Of course we don't have to tell him. But, what made you think that my intentions to call you were purely as a platonic friend?"_

_"Because that's all we can be. Aren't you calling me to the dock as your friend?"_

_"You could say that, I guess."_

_"Don't play games with me, Toby! We can't do anything we're going to regret. We both have to remember that we were matched with other people. We have so-called soul mates to stay faithful to!"_

_"Well, you can find out exactly why I called you when you get here. I'll keep it vague, just like that. Oh, and we both know that you're not happy with that fake-ass charmer Brit."_

With that, the phone call ended, and Spencer rushed to meet him at the dock. She sat down next to Toby, slipping her feet into the lake water as soon as she got there. He smiled at her, satisfied that she bothered to show up. He put his arm around her, pulling her close. She didn't even care that he was trying to cuddle with her, because she wanted it. She wanted her head to be against his chest. She wanted to be so close to him that she could hear his heartbeat, and that was exactly where she was.

"You came."

"I did," she said, holding into him tightly. "Now, tell me why you called me here, Mister Cavanaugh. It better be an urgent reason, because I'm hiding all of this from Wren!"

"Oh, come on, you and I both know you came here entirely based off of your own decision," Toby said, folding his arms. "There's no emergency, and you know it. I know it, obviously. I just wanted to see you, and I thought I made that clear."

"You made it seem like you have some kind of ulterior motive for inviting me here," Spencer said, chuckling and latching onto his arm. "Is something bothering you, Tobes?"

"Spencer, you know what's bugging me," he said, shaking his head. "You know that I still like you, and it kills me to know that you're with Wren. I could never feel the same things for Jenna. When I look at you, I get this crazy feeling inside of me, and that tells me that I must really like you if I'd rather die than be with anybody except you. I can't just be friends with you."

"Toby," she sternly said. "I told you we can't do this. We spent most of the years that we've known each other being nothing more than friends, but then one night, things got a little intense, and now you're saying you would die without me?"

"But the thing is, it wasn't just one night," he confessed. "Ever since the day we met... that's when it all started. Gradually, I developed those feelings for you, and I know that you feel something for me, too. And maybe that's why I called you here."

"W-what's that reason?" Spencer asked.

"It could be because I wanted to do this..."

Leaning forward, he kissed Spencer gently, cupping both of her cheeks. Surprising the both of them, she didn't stop it. Actually, she kissed back! Her hands were firmly grasping the back of his shirt. Her grip tightened, and her head pushed harder, intensifying the passion of their kiss.

As soon as she pulled back, she knew she did another dumb thing. If anybody saw her and told the government, she would be killed at that moment! She sighed and withdrew her hands back to her body. She completely disconnected herself from him, scooting away as well.

"Spencer..." he mumbled.

"No, Toby, no!" she cried quietly. "This shouldn't have happened. We have matches! If anybody finds out, we both die."

"I told you how I feel about you," he said, staring at the lake. "I told you that I can't be with Jenna. I can't be with anybody except you! I would rather die than have it that way!"

"You are so sweet, but this really shouldn't have happened," she repeated. "You can't feel that way about me, okay? You have to give Jenna a chance. You haven't given her a chance because you keep seeing me. I think we should keep a distance until we both give our matches a chance. It's hard to focus on Wren when all I can think about is you."

* * *

Fumbling back into the apartment, Spencer took a deep breath when she entered. She hoped that Wren wasn't home, but clearly he had already came back because the lasagna was eaten. She cursed in her head and went to grab the dirty dishes from the dinner table and put them in the sink.

Coming out of their bedroom in only his pajama pants was Wren. He smiled at her sweetly, slowly approaching her. He pecked her cheek, and then grabbed her hand. They started walking towards the bedroom, but she didn't realize why he was being so sweet to her.

"I heard the door open and I couldn't wait to see you," Wren said gleefully. "Thank you for dinner, love, it was amazing, and it smelled so delicious right when I got home. That was a good thing to come home to. I only wish that I could have come home to my beautiful woman, but I seem to have missed you. Where'd you head off to?"

"An old friend of mine wanted to meet up, so we went to the lake dock to talk," Spencer told the story, but left out the part that would probably piss him off.

"The friend wanted to meet up with you at this hour?" Wren questioned.

"It's not that late, and they wanted to just catch up," Spencer said, shrugging her shoulders. "We just talked, and I came home. Oh, and you're welcome for dinner. I'm going to get ready for bed, and I think you should, too."

"I am ready for bed," Wren said, looking at her quizzically. "Do you not see my pajama pants, sweetheart?" He chuckled and fell back on the bed, flexing his abdominal muscles. They weren't too defined, but they were definitely there, and Spencer liked them a lot already.

"No, no, it's just that... you sleep without a shirt on?" Spencer asked.

"Yes, of course," Wren answered, scratching his head. "I didn't do it last night because I didn't think you would be comfortable with it so soon, but we have gotten to understand each other and the habits at this point, so no more hiding who I am. Now, let's get to bed, love."

* * *

"Ezra and I are having so much fun together!" Aria exclaimed. "I didn't know that eighteen years of not dating anybody would be so worth it, because he's the one. He wrote me a poem telling me how beautiful I am. No guy has ever done something so sweet! There's nothing I don't like about him!"

"How is it that she's having so much fun while the rest of us are suffering?" Emily asked, groaning and hitting her head against her pillow on the couch which they were sitting on, located in Hanna and Sean's apartment.

"Emily, we aren't suffering," Hanna said, folding her arms. "Well, I'm not. I miss Caleb a lot, and I wanted to be matched with him, but it didn't happen. However, I'm warming up to Sean. It's not hell, it's just not the dream. I think I could have something real with Sean in time, though. He's a nice guy."

"And for your information, I'm not suffering either!" Spencer argued, folding her arms. "Wren is kind of the rusher in relationships, but he is so attractive, and god, I love his accent. Plus, he looks so hot shirtless!"

"Ooh, the naughty side of Spence," Hanna teased. "I can't believe you guys did the deed so soon. How was it?"

"We didn't... we didn't do that stuff," Spencer said, chuckling nervously. "I haven't... um, I just saw him shirtless because he sleeps without a shirt." She hated lying to them about Toby. They all thought she was a virgin again, but she wasn't. She knew what sex was like.

"Sometimes I just get wrong ideas," Hanna said, sighing. "Emily, the rest of us aren't suffering, but why are you? What's going on? Is Ben really that bad?"

"No, he's not bad!" Emily defended, sighing. "Well, he is the problem, but it's not his fault. I think Ben is a good guy, but I feel no feelings for him. It's like this emotionless black hole. I think he's cute, we talk about swimming, but I just don't feel that spark. I've liked people before, and I always got some kind of feeling when I saw that crush, but with Ben, I don't!"

"With Ezra, I get these butterflies in my stomach every time I see him," Aria happily boasted. "It's like I'm living my life in some kind of movie or dream! It's absolutely perfect."

"I envy you, Aria," Spencer said, sighing. "Your relationship with Ezra seems like some kind of perfection. I wish I had those kinds of feelings for Wren. I like him, but he's not giving a chance for feelings to develop. He's already talking about marriage. What about you, Ar?"

"We've talked about it, but we're not doing it now," Aria said, giggling. "We both want to learn each other before eloping. He's my soul mate, so I wouldn't mind getting married to him now, but I don't really want it now. I want to understand him before we go there."

"Well, Wren said he wanted to do the whole marriage thing soon, but I'm not ready..." Spencer said, sighing.

"He wants to get married now?" Emily questioned.

Why did everything feel out to Spencer? Aria was having this amazing time with Ezra, and it was like a movie to her. It was supposed to feel perfect for everybody if they were matched with their soul mate. So, why was there disappointment for Emily, Hanna, and Spencer in their matches?

They all thought soul mates meant no disappointment with the person.


End file.
